Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World

“Revolusi is an epic work, but it is a rather overdue one, because Indonesia is a hugely important country that has been very much neglected. The case that he is making is not only that we should care more about it because it’s a large country, with the world’s largest Muslim population etc. He also argues that the anti-colonial struggle in Indonesia was the first anti-colonial struggle. It triggered and set the tone for a whole series of anti-colonial struggles thereafter. The conference at Bandung in 1955 was the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement—another theme which is very much around at the moment. It’s time that we looked at the role that Indonesia played in shaping post-colonial thinking.” Read more...

The Best Nonfiction Books: The 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize Shortlist

Isabel Hilton, Journalist

“Also of note is the appearance, in English, of a book about Indonesia’s struggle for independence from the Netherlands after World War II: Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David van Reybrouck.” Read more...

Nonfiction Books to Look Out for in Early 2024

Sophie Roell, Journalist